Going viral

"Smells pretty good." Bai Qiongyu couldn't help taking a sniff, his appetite stirred.

The little bit of rice porridge he'd had for lunch hadn't been nearly enough. Chopping firewood had taken a lot out of him, and he'd been hungry for ages.

"Didn't you say my cooking tasted bad?" Chu Ran asked Bai Qiongyu, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Obviously, it's Lele's honey sauce that smells good." Bai Qiongyu shrugged.

Even Su Jinyu, standing in the doorway, spoke up for once. "I agree."

Zheng Ye went without saying. He wouldn't even glance at Chu Ran.

Everyone had united against a common enemy, but Chu Ran wasn't angry about being that enemy. Instead, he nodded along and said to Ning Shile, "It does smell good. Give me the secret recipe later so I can study it."

"No problem." Ning Shile wasn't stingy. Good things were meant to be shared.

Next, Ning Shile placed the fish on the cutting board.

He was going to make dry-braised fish. To help the flavors penetrate, he picked up the kitchen knife to score its back.

"Let me," Chu Ran stepped forward again and took the knife from Ning Shile's hand. "Don't cut yourself."

Seeing how insistent Chu Ran was, Ning Shile didn't refuse. He smiled and said, "Thanks, Brother Chu Ran."

Chu Ran's grip on the knife tightened slightly. A smile finally appeared on his perpetually expressionless, cool face, and he raised his eyebrows. "No need to thank me. It's only right."

Zheng Ye glanced at Chu Ran, then snorted.

[Chu Ran is losing himself with every "brother" hahaha.]

[Just look at Brother Ye's disdainful expression. Enough said.]

[My mom asked what I was watching that had me laughing like such a creep. I told her I was watching people cook, and she called me nuts.]